Red Cross says no one was injured in the fire

A weekend house fire in Petitcodiac has left two people homeless and damaged a local hardware store.

The fire on Kay Street damaged a building that housed the MacPherson and Stewart Hardware store and four apartments.

Petitcodiac Fire Chief Gerald Jones told the Red Cross that firefighters were initially called for a vehicle on fire in a driveway, but the flames quickly spread to the three-storey, wood-sided building.

Fire departments from several nearby communities were also called in to help put out the fire.

No one was injured.

The Red Cross said disaster volunteers helped one man with emergency purchases of food and clothing.

The man and a woman who rented one of the other apartments are each staying with relatives or friends in the community. The other two apartments were vacant.

It's expected the hardware store will be closed for a period of time for clean up and repairs.